Mayor Keith Wilson was born in 1963 and raised in North Portland, one of five children. He went to school at Portsmouth/Cesar Chavez, Roosevelt High School, Portland Community College and Oregon State University before earning a Master of Business Administration from the University of Portland.
Wilson began his career in television before returning to Portland to take the helm of TITAN Freight Systems in 2004. Over the years, he reimagined TITAN as a safety leader, green transportation innovator, and artificial intelligence incubator. These efforts culminated in eliminating all fossil fuels in TITAN’s Portland facility and pioneering heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The company grew substantially while fostering a “Vision Zero” safety culture with no injuries or accidents over five years and a near-perfect Oregon SAIF worker injury experience rating. Wilson won two consecutive Innovator of the Year recognitions, among other awards and accolades, and earned TITAN a coveted “B-Corp” status for commitment to community and planet.
As a civic leader, Wilson spearheaded the creation of the Multnomah County Homeless Court Program, designed to divert vulnerable individuals from the justice system and into supportive services, employment and housing. He is the vice chair for Word is Bond, an organization dedicated to mentoring Portland’s future leaders.
Wilson volunteers and mentors homeless veterans and students and serves as an executive committee member of the U.S. High-Speed Rail Coalition and International Road Federation board member. He is also the founder and director of the political action committee Breathe Easy Oregon, which has advanced bipartisan legislation to support Oregon’s economy while protecting its priceless natural resources.
In 2023, Wilson founded Shelter Portland, an innovative nonprofit of civic and federal leaders and local providers with a proven blueprint to end unsheltered homelessness based on successful efforts in other cities.
Wilson enjoys the great outdoors with his wife Katherine and children, Lilianna and Noah.